Ankle decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a right foot or ankle disability, and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting right ankle condition clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and was not aggravated by any in-service event, injury, or illness. Therefore, service connection for a right ankle disability is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for erectile dysfunction, depression, and a skin disorder. The appeals for left ankle, bilateral knee, and right leg radiculopathy disorders are denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and the acquisition of any outstanding medical records.

The Veteran's right ankle disability was rated as noncompensable prior to November 18, 2010. From November 18, 2010 to May 9, 2011, the Veteran received a rating of 20 percent for his right ankle disability. Since then, he has been rated at 10 percent.,The effective date for the 10 percent rating is set as May 10, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examinations and attempting to verify a claimed in-service stressor. The case will be returned to the Board after these actions are completed.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome is rated as moderate, resulting in a compensable rating of 10 percent. The cervical strain and recurrent left ankle strain are both rated at the noncompensable level.

The Board has remanded the appeal due to incomplete or unclear opinions from previous examiners and requests for additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current heart disorder, left ankle disorder, and right upper extremity skin disorder are not service connected. The VA examiners have provided opinions indicating these conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for gout, degenerative joint disease (DJD), and residuals of a fracture of the lateral malleolus of the right ankle due to inadequate examination reports. The case is now pending for further development.

The Board has determined that the claims for increased ratings and service connection are inextricably intertwined with the TDIU claim. Therefore, the TDIU claim is not yet ripe for appellate review and must be deferred pending readjudication of the other remanded claims.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to missing records, particularly those from August 1995 when the Veteran was involved in a motor vehicle accident. The Veteran needs to provide evidence that he was en route to inactive duty training on Friday night.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for DJD of the left foot and ankle, not including the left first MTP joint, and PTSD were denied. The effective dates for these decisions are not applicable as they are final.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for a right ankle disability, tinnitus, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), with reasonable doubt resolving in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for a left ankle disability. The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, bilateral hearing loss disabilities, tinnitus, and pleomorphic sarcoma, right upper extremity have all been denied as there is no evidence of an in-service event or injury that would support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing right ankle disorder underwent an increase in severity during service, and thus service connection for residuals of a right ankle fracture is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability but denied the claim as there is no evidence linking his current disability to his active duty service.

The Veteran's tension headaches, left knee disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder are found to be related to service. The ankle disorder is not currently diagnosed.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection of low back, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disorders. Resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, the Board finds that his current diagnoses are directly related to his military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen claims for service connection for right shoulder, ankle, wrist disabilities. The claim of tuberculosis (claimed as positive TB test) was withdrawn by the Veteran during a hearing. Service connection is denied for residuals of a broken nose, heartburn, and athlete's foot.